NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Baseball has officially returned to Dogtown as the Arkansas Travelers kicked off their 2023 campaign last night.
According to the team's website, the "Travelers" nickname is one of the oldest in professional sports.
The Travelers have never taken a different nickname, making it the second-longest-running continuous nickname in Minor League Baseball after the Buffalo Bisons.
The name "Arkansas Travelers" is derived from the famous minstrel known as the Arkansas Traveler, who roamed the Ozark Mountains selling his wares and singing songs.
The team was originally known as the Little Rock Travelers and was renamed for the entire state in 1957— becoming the first professional sports franchise named after a state.
The Travelers originally played at Kavanaugh Field from 1896 through 1931. In 1932 the team moved into "an all-new steel and concrete facility" in what originally was named Travelers Field.
In 1966 Travelers Field was renamed to honor the late Ray Winder, who rose from ticket seller to owner over the course of 52 years and eventually became the savior of the Travelers.
It was Ray Winder who spearheaded the return of the Travelers to Little Rock as a fan-owned enterprise after a brief hiatus during the 1959 season.
After 74 years, Ray Winder Field hosted its farewell baseball game with 8,307 in attendance on September 3, 2006, before moving to its current home at Dickey-Stephens Park.